Look: Grades Roll In For Bengals' First-Round Selection Of Shemar Stewart

CINCINNATI — The grades are in covering Cincinnati's selection of Shemar Stewart in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. It's a tepid response from the evaluation community for the ultra-athletic player.

Check out what some of the top NFL outlets around think of the Texas A&M star going to Cincinnati as the team's latest defensive pick:

Sports Illustrated - C-

"The Bengals added some much-needed help for their defense," Gilberto Manzano wrote. "The massive 6-foot-5, 267-pound Stewart excelled at creating pressure from multiple positions in the Aggies’ crowded defensive front. There’s plenty of untapped potential with Stewart, but his lack of sacks in college might be concerning for teams. He was held to 1.5 sacks in each of his three seasons."

The Athletic - C

"This is a boom-or-bust selection," Scott Dochterman wrote. "Stewart can become one of the NFL’s best pass rushers or completely flop. He has every tangible quality desired by NFL scouts, including massive arms (34 1/8 inches) and wingspan (84 3/4) plus explosiveness (40-inch vertical). He is an athletic marvel. But there’s little production on his resume. Last year at Texas A&M, Stewart finished with just 1.5 sacks, matching his number from each of his previous two seasons. He needs to learn how to finish tackles for his stats to match his physical gifts."

Pro Football Focus - Average

"While Stewart’s pass-rush production (67.2 PFF pass-rush grade) leaves something to be desired, he is an incredibly high-potential athlete off the edge," PFF stated. "His 88.2 PFF run-defense grade last season will get him on the field early and provide him with a solid floor as he further develops—potentially into Trey Hendrickson’s successor."

CBS Sports - C

"The Bengals needed edge help, but Stewart is raw and lacks football instincts," Pete Prisco wrote. "There wasn't a lot of production to his game. The tape shows a player who needs to learn how to play football. But the talent is there."

FOX Sports - C+

"As the Bengals' de facto general manager since 1999, Duke Tobin has made a career out of gambling on prospects with exceptional upsides," Rob Rang wrote. "Few offer more of that in this class than the 6-foot-5, 267-pound Stewart, who could be either the complement or replacement the Bengals need with star edge rusher Trey Hendrickson a candidate to be traded. His athleticism wowed at the Combine, but his troubling lack of production at Texas A&M makes this another boom-or bust-pick."

The Ringer - C

"The Bengals swing for the fences with this pick, grabbing one of the most athletic edge rush players ever," Danny Kelly wrote. "Stewart is big, long, and brings first-step burst, but the production never matched the traits, with just 1.5 sacks in each of the last three seasons. For a Bengals team that is particularly thin on defense, I would’ve preferred that they looked at a more developed early contributor. Stewart brings immense upside, but Bengals fans might have to wait for it."

Pro Football Network - C+

"In terms of physical talent, no one bests Stewart – it’s as simple as that," Ian Cummings wrote. "At 6-foot-5, 267 pounds, with over 34-inch arms, he has hyper-elite explosiveness, short-area agility, twitch, and power output to go along with blistering pursuit speed and a truly unhinged motor. The problem with Stewart is that his physical upside is largely where the pros of his profile begin and end.

"In run defense, Stewart can be undisciplined and over-eager. In the pass-rush phase, he can be uncontrolled and unrefined. The Bengals haven’t proven they can deliver on these kinds of high-upside gambles at EDGE; the Myles Murphy pick from two years ago hasn’t panned out. But Stewart has the talent, and he has the motor, and every evaluation is different. Perhaps if they can keep Trey Hendrickson in-house, Stewart can learn from him and unlock his potential."

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